SEW-EURODRIVE: Turning data silos into data clarity
Like many companies, SEW’s IT and data landscape had evolved organically over decades. New systems were introduced while legacy systems remained in place. The result was a patchwork of distributed data silos, mixed IT architectures, and incompatible formats. What had once been a clear structure had grown into a complex ecosystem.
To develop new applications, teams had to gather information from multiple sources and manually align different data models. The objective was clear: replace isolated, one-off solutions with a unified data foundation that makes access to information simple, secure, and consistent.
Our Approach
Together with SEW, we built an Enterprise Knowledge Graph, a central platform that brings structure and transparency to complex data. It’s based on a Data Fabric framework that uses Semantic Web technologies.
At the core is a shared semantic model that makes data understandable and connected across systems. With ECLASS serving as a “dictionary,” properties and terms are standardized so that “Color” and “Farbe” now mean the same thing. This allows data from various sources to merge into a single, consistent foundation: the Enterprise Knowledge Graph. It enables complex queries across systems and ensures data can be delivered consistently and automatically.
Think of it like transforming a cluttered pantry into an organized one: data is harmonized, labeled, and meaningfully linked. From that, a “cookbook” emerges—the Knowledge Graph—which connects and organizes all information sources. The “dishes” that come out of it are digital twins, virtual representations that supply applications and smart services with the right data when they need it. Through the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), these digital twins remain standardized and usable across all systems.
The Data Fabric is not a static system but a dynamic process:
- Domain experts continuously contribute knowledge about their data.
- Data Ops teams handle integration, data quality, and ongoing harmonization.
- With each new use case, the Knowledge Graph expands and unlocks new capabilities for intelligent applications.
Our Services
- Strategy: Supporting the design of the Enterprise Knowledge Graph as SEW’s central data platform.
- Develop: Building the Knowledge Graph architecture; harmonizing and enriching data using ontologies and ECLASS; developing digital twins as semantic representations of products and assets.
- Support: Providing ongoing support for maintenance and extension of the Knowledge Graph; enabling SEW teams to expand and manage it independently.
Customer Benefits
With the Data Fabric developed by M&M Software, SEW’s previously fragmented data sources are accessible through a single interface. Applications now draw from harmonized data, saving time, reducing complexity, and speeding up processes.
The solution also opens the door to new digital services such as predictive maintenance and integration with the asset management system. Customers can now experience their equipment throughout its entire lifecycle, from development to after-sales. The platform is fully scalable and can easily be extended to future use cases.
Within SEW, the solution also boosts efficiency. Manual tasks like data formatting, mapping, or integrating new sources are greatly reduced. Data management is improved, and long alignment cycles are eliminated. The Data Fabric ultimately delivers valuable insights, new revenue opportunities, and consistently optimized processes.
Technologies
Backend technologies:
- Semantic Web
- RDF (Resource Description Framework) for structured data representation
- Turtle syntax for data modeling
- SPARQL for advanced Knowledge Graph queries
- OWL (Web Ontology Language) for ontologies
- SHACL (Shapes Constraint Language) for data validation
- Enterprise Knowledge Graph
- Asset Administration Shell (AAS)
- Eclipse BaSyx
Frontend technologies:
- GraphQL